RONAHÎ NÛDA

Hasakah- Women of Rojava were involved in the Kurdish Resistance by forming of the Martyr Ruken Battalion in Afrin’s Jindires town on February 13, 2013 and then Martyr Adalet Battalion in Qamishlo and finally the Martyr Dicle Battalion in Kobanê. The Women's Defense Units (Kurdish: Yekineyên Parastina Jin, YPJ) announced its foundation on April 4, 2013 by holding its first congress on April 2, 2013.

 

The YPJ fighters have been waging an historical resistance against Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS in Rojava. The YPJ continues to be a leading force against the fight against ISIS in North and East Syria.

 

The first martyrs of the YPJ

YPJ fighter Berivan Qalender (Nom de guerre: Bêrivan Nucan) was martyred on May 28, 2013 while fighting the Jabhat al-Nusra attacked Afrin's Sherewa district. On May 29, YPJ fighter Tekoşer Meryem Mihamed (Nom de guerre: Silava) was martyred while fighting the Jabhat al-Nusra in Sherewa. These two YPJ fighters became the first martyrs of the YPJ. The fighters and commanders of the YPJ led the resistance against the occupation operation of the Turkish state in Afrin and the occupation operation of the Turkish state in Serekaniye and Grê Spî in October 2019.

YPJ fights to defend women’s rights

In time, the YPJ has become a hope and model for all women with the efforts and sacrifices of thousands of its fighters such as Silava, Rêvana, Arin Mirkan, Awesta Xabur, Barin Kobanê and Jiyan Tolhildan. Based on Democratic- Ecological-Women’s Free Life Paradigm, the YPJ struggles to protect women from all kinds of attacks and defend women’s rights. For about three years, the YPJ fighters have been targeted by Turkish drones. Despite these attacks, the YPJ continues to strengthen as women’s defense units.

‘Women were involved in the revolution very strongly’

NuJINHA spoke to Dilbirîn Kobanê, YPJ Commander in the Cizîrê Region, on the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the YPJ.

“The YPJ was founded on April 4, 2013. April 4 was an important day. The Kurdish people were persecuted for decades. This persecution affected women the most. The revolution was started to end this persecution and liberate people from all nations and women, especially the Kurds. We call the revolution in Rojava as a Women’s Revolution because women played a leading role in the revolution. Our aim in founding the YPJ is to show women their own power and realize the revolution with great our own will. Women were involved in the revolution very strongly. Even old mothers told us, ‘We lived for a day when women led such a revolution’. The revolution created a volcano effect; everywhere became a space for our struggle. This fire of revolution generated excitement particularly among women. All women joined the YPJ as if they had waited for this day for a long time.”

 

‘The YPJ was founded and developed on a historical legacy’

“The YPJ did not emerge out of nowhere; it organized itself based on the culture of the Kurdish women’s historical legacy,” Dilbirîn Kobanê said, adding, “YPJ was founded based on a historical legacy and experience. It did not emerge out of nowhere during the revolution; it was founded thanks to the Kurdish Freedom Movement and the struggle of revolutionary women. We will never forget thousands of women who lost their lives while fighting for freedom, such as Zîlan, Bêrîtan and Sara. Thanks to their struggle, a women's army like the YPJ was founded.”

‘Many internationalist women joined our revolution’

Speaking about the 12-year war in Syria, Dilbirîn Kobanê said, “The YPJ was founded 10 years ago but women led the revolution by being involved in the resistance before the foundation of the YPJ. Not only Kurdish women but also Arab, Syriac, Assyrian women and women from different ethnic groups in North and East Syria were affected by the YPJ and thousands of them joined our ranks. Foreign women also came to North and East Syria to join us. Many internationalist women joined our revolution. Their participation in the YPJ showed that the YPJ has been waging a struggle for women all over the world.”

 

‘The YPJ is a model for women all around the world’

Underlining that the YPJ is a new model for women all around the world in the 21st century, Dilbirîn Kobanê said, “The patriarchal system, the current system, should not sustain itself like this. Women should grow their struggle against this patriarchal system that ignores women. It is important for women to defend themselves against this system. YPJ is a model for women’s defense. Everyone wants to learn more about it since it is a new and successful model.”

‘Our main aim is the unity of women’

Highlighting that one of the main aims of the YPJ is to break gender stereotypes, Dilbirîn Kobanê said, “We want to turn the 21st century into a women's century and empower women. If women do not wage a great struggle today, they will also lose their existence. The YPJ has shown that women can lead a revolution by founding their own defense units. The 21st century is a very important century and there are many crises and conflicts in this century. We, as women, should struggle more against these crises and conflicts. Women should defend their labor and rights. One of our aims is to globalize women's defense.”